Netflixis finally bringing the long-in-the-worksEddie Murphydocumentary to its catalog this year, but it’ll have a new name. Collider had the scoop whenit was initially announced in 2021asThe Last Stand, a wide-ranging project about the comedian’s historic career going from renowned stand-up icon to beloved movie star. Now, it’ll arrive under the simpler nameEddieas a feature film from Oscar winnerAngus Wall. The announcement also came with a first-look image of Murphy looking sharp as ever with a big smile ahead of what will be a very intimate look into his past.
Eddieis billed as the first comprehensive reflection on Murphy’s career, with the star himself taking viewers along for the ride. Beginning with his early days as a teen comic, the film will chronicle Murphy’s meteoric rise through the ranks of comedy tothe bright lights ofSaturday Night Live, the stratosphericHollywood heights of his careerwith smash hits likeBeverly Hills Cop,Trading Places, andComing to America, and the later roles that would continue to define him, likeThe Nutty Professor,Shrek, and his Oscar-nominated appearance inDreamgirls. Along the way, it will address his status as a trailblazer and break down all the records he set at the box office — wherehis movies racked up a collective $6.7 billion globally— and beyond. Murphy welcomed the crew into his home as well so he could share in his own words what each stop on his diverse three-generation career meant to him and the influence his success had on the world of stand-up and film.
Wall’s documentary also promises appearances from many of Murphy’s closest friends to offer some words on his life and legendary career. Their perspective combined with Wall’s direction and the star’s reflection promises to paint a full, funny, and tear-jerking portrait of who Murphy was behind closed doors. Capturing all the footage needed was a painstaking effort for the crew that Murphy previously revealed dated back to around the pandemic. As forwhy he finally decided to open the doors to his lifefor such a project, he told Collider’sSteve Weintraubin 2023 during the press tour for his comedyYou Peoplethat, while he was hesitant, he felt like enough time had passed and there was plenty of material from his life to make something worthwhile:
“They’ve been doing that documentary for… They started that when I went back to host’Saturday Night Live.' So what’s that? Three years ago, four years. […] Well, I have been [in the business] so long, and there wasn’t anything like that, and I’ve had a unique career. So I was like, ‘Everybody does documentaries now.’ I’ve been doing it long enough, and there’s enough stuff that there’s an interesting story there, how it all happened, and it’s all documented.”
Who Else Is Working on ‘Eddie’?
WithEddie, Wall will finally make his feature directorial debut. He’s twice won an Academy Award for editing,David Finchermovies, first getting recognized forThe Social Networkand then winning once again the following year forThe Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Joining him on the long-gestating project will be producersJohn Davis,John Fox,Charisse Hewitt,Terry Leonard, andKent Kubena. Murphy, of course, was also intimately involved with the team throughout and even came up with the ideal ending. He told Weintraub that it would conclude with the moment he was awarded the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2023 for his years of contributions to entertainment.
Eddiearrives on Netflix later this year. Stay tuned here at Collider for more on the film as it comes out.
